The McDonaldization of Track and Field
McDonaldization is the product of a societal shift. American society shifted from a period of Industrial Capitalism to Cultural Late Capitalism. Subsequently, the focus of American society was directed toward engineering and consuming products of entertainment and experience like recreation centers and yoga classes, rather than material products like cars (Cite). Entertainment and experience became the focus of society, so to accommodate the more consumers and accumulate the most profit, sports entertainment became heavily McDonaldized. According to the video, “Manufacturing the Elite Body”, McDonaldization in sports is focused on the manufacturing of humans bodies to become more machine like (“Manufacturing,” …show more content…
According to a study conducted by Ilkka J Helenius, Heikki O Tikkanen, and Tari Haahtela, elite long distance runners and elite speed and power athletes, which include jumpers and sprinters, were identified to be more susceptible to high prevalences of asthma in comparison with the average semi-active person (Helenius, Tikkanen & Haahtela, 1997). The lengthy extensive training required of these athletes means that there is extreme wear and use of their lungs, more so than the average person. To maintain their McDonaldized bodies, Olympic track and field athletes are required to put in intense and long hours of work on a daily basis in the cold winter and highly pollinated summer and spring air, which leads them to be more susceptible to high prevalences of asthma (Helenius, Tikkanen & Haahtela, 1997). As the body is reconfigured to meet the Olympic standard, athletes are put in danger to maintain an ideal instead of living its …show more content…
M. (2015). The history and evolution of horizontal track and field events. Bulletin of the
Transilvania University of Braşov Series IX: Sciences of Human Kinetics, 8 (1), 9-12.
Helenius, I. J., Tikkanen H. O. & Haahtela T. (1997). Association between type of training and risk of asthma in elite athletes. Thorax, 52 (2), 157-160. doi: 10.1136/thx.52.2.157
Jordan, T. (n.d.). Track and field. Scholastics. Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/track-and-field Manufacturing the Elite Body. Excerpt from The Olympic Body, The Guardian
(2012, July 6).
Ritzer, G. (2004). An Introduction to McDonaldization. (Revised New Century Edition ed.), The
McDonaldization of society (4-25). London: Sage.
Stewart, C., Pullen, E. (2016). Monadic, material and mirroring: Female bodies in track athletics culture. Sociology of Sport, 51 (6), 658–678 doi: 10.1177/1012690214549202
(2012). Track and field body types: London 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.track-stats.com/track-and-field-body-types/ (2016). Track and field body types: Rio 2016. Retrieved from:
McDonaldization is the product of a societal shift. American society shifted from a period of Industrial Capitalism to Cultural Late Capitalism. Subsequently, the focus of American society was directed toward engineering and consuming products of entertainment and experience like recreation centers and yoga classes, rather than material products like cars (Cite). Entertainment and experience became the focus of society, so to accommodate the more consumers and accumulate the most profit, sports entertainment became heavily McDonaldized. According to the video, “Manufacturing the Elite Body”, McDonaldization in sports is focused on the manufacturing of humans bodies to become more machine like (“Manufacturing,” …show more content…
According to a study conducted by Ilkka J Helenius, Heikki O Tikkanen, and Tari Haahtela, elite long distance runners and elite speed and power athletes, which include jumpers and sprinters, were identified to be more susceptible to high prevalences of asthma in comparison with the average semi-active person (Helenius, Tikkanen & Haahtela, 1997). The lengthy extensive training required of these athletes means that there is extreme wear and use of their lungs, more so than the average person. To maintain their McDonaldized bodies, Olympic track and field athletes are required to put in intense and long hours of work on a daily basis in the cold winter and highly pollinated summer and spring air, which leads them to be more susceptible to high prevalences of asthma (Helenius, Tikkanen & Haahtela, 1997). As the body is reconfigured to meet the Olympic standard, athletes are put in danger to maintain an ideal instead of living its …show more content…
M. (2015). The history and evolution of horizontal track and field events. Bulletin of the
Transilvania University of Braşov Series IX: Sciences of Human Kinetics, 8 (1), 9-12.
Helenius, I. J., Tikkanen H. O. & Haahtela T. (1997). Association between type of training and risk of asthma in elite athletes. Thorax, 52 (2), 157-160. doi: 10.1136/thx.52.2.157
Jordan, T. (n.d.). Track and field. Scholastics. Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/track-and-field Manufacturing the Elite Body. Excerpt from The Olympic Body, The Guardian
(2012, July 6).
Ritzer, G. (2004). An Introduction to McDonaldization. (Revised New Century Edition ed.), The
McDonaldization of society (4-25). London: Sage.
Stewart, C., Pullen, E. (2016). Monadic, material and mirroring: Female bodies in track athletics culture. Sociology of Sport, 51 (6), 658–678 doi: 10.1177/1012690214549202
(2012). Track and field body types: London 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.track-stats.com/track-and-field-body-types/ (2016). Track and field body types: Rio 2016. Retrieved from: